Making Your Own Pumpkin Puree

I feel very strongly about the issue of canned pumpkin puree vs. fresh pumpkin puree.  Perhaps it's because my mom has always made baked goods with fresh pumpkin puree.  When I suggest to people that they should actually use their pumpkins for food - 98% of the time I get a look like I'm absolutely nuts.  Make my own pumpkin puree? Hah! Why on earth would I do that?  Noooo...I'll grab the can.

I think what turns most people off of the idea of creating their own pumpkin puree is that it is....
A. Messy
B. Time consuming
C. Cutting a pumpkin is SCARY...such a tough outer shell! (I have a solution for you!)

It is none of the above! 

Speaking from personal experience when something seems a little scary and a little bit like a pain in the ass...I just need to do it.  Give it a try and see for myself.

Pumpkins deserve a little bit of glory...because they are one of the more challenging items to grow and they are just down right awesome.  So I give you two options - paint a Picaso-like master piece or fire up your oven.  We will address the second....

Step 1:
Select a pumpkin...you will want a "Sugar Pumpkin" like the one pictured below or a Cheese Pumpkin (flat and tan colored).  Give it a little wash and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Oven heated to 400.

Step 2: Let roast until you can easily pierce with a fork.  For this sugar pumpkin it took 1 hour.

Step 3: Let cool until you can handle the pumpkin.  Slice in half carefully because pumpkins hold a lot of steam.  Then remove the seeds and other "stuff" from the center.  If you're feeling crafty roast the seeds for healthy snacking.

Step 4: Remove the pumpkin.

Step 5: Either use a food mill (yea we're old school!) or a food processor to produce a really nice smooth puree.

And You're done!  Use now or freeze it! 

What now:
Check out our recipes tab for some yummy pumpkin ideas...